History of the Lebanon Flag: Independence and the 1943 Cedar Design
Lebanon’s current flag was established during the independence period of 1943 and written directly into the Constitution.
The cedar predates the modern flag
The cedar had long been associated with Lebanon before the modern republic, appearing in local, cultural and political symbolism.
French Mandate-era flags
During the French Mandate, Lebanese flags often combined French tricolour elements with a cedar tree.
1943 independence movement
As Lebanon moved toward independence in 1943, a new national flag was needed that would visually separate the country from the mandate-era French design.
The red-white-red cedar flag
The independence-era design adopted two red horizontal bands around a broad white centre field carrying a green cedar.
December 7, 1943: constitutional definition
Article 5 of the Lebanese Constitution was amended on December 7, 1943 to define the modern flag.
What exactly did Article 5 establish?
It set the red-white-red horizontal structure, required the white band to equal the two red bands combined and specified a green cedar in the centre.
Why the cedar remained central
The cedar offered a distinctly Lebanese emblem with roots much older than the modern state and became the visual anchor of the independence flag.
What has changed since 1943?
The fundamental constitutional design has remained stable: two red bands, a broad white band and a green cedar tree.
